1. Critical Mistakes in Scientific Presentations
based off of the book “The Craft of Scientific Presentations” by Michael Alley
Paul McGrath
March 5, 2008

2. Critical Mistakes in Scientific Presentations
based off of the book “The Craft of Scientific Presentations” by Michael Alley
Paul McGrath
March 5, 2008

3. Critical Mistakes in Scientific Presentations
based off of the book “The Craft of Scientific Presentations” by Michael Alley
Paul McGrath
March 5, 2008

4. The four aspects of a presentation allow us to categorize mistakes.
Speech
Strategy
Visual Aids
Delivery

5. The words you choose and how you remember them are crucial.
Error 1 –
Giving the Wrong Speech for the Occasion
Error 2 –
Drawing Words from the Wrong Well
Speech

6. Error 1 – Choosing your words depends on more than the material you wish to present.
Will the audience understand the points you intend to make?
Targeting the Audience
Will the audience be interested in these points?
.. so if you vary the
Einstein-Hilbert action..

7. Error 1 – Choosing you words depends on more than the material you wish to present.
Will the audience understand the points you intend to make?
Targeting the Audience
Will the audience be interested in these points?
Informing?
Recognizing the Purpose
Persuading?
Inspiring?

8. Error 1 – Choosing you words depends on more than the material you wish to present.
Will the audience understand the points you intend to make?
Targeting the Audience
Will the audience be interested in these points?
Informing?
Recognizing the Purpose
Persuading?
Inspiring?
Where is the presentation?
Addressing the Occasion
What time is the presentation?

9. Error 2 – How you remember what to say depends on the occasion.
Method
Advantages
Disadvantages
Speaking from Points
Credibility earned
Eye contact
Natural pace
Wording not exact
Long-preparation
Memorizing
Precise, smooth delivery
Credibility earned (?)
Potential for Disaster
Unnatural Pace
Reading
Credibility undercut
Little eye contact
Speaking off the Cuff
No preparation time
Natural Pace
Lack of structure
Lack of visual aids
Filler phrases, “uh, um”

10. A good strategy keeps the audience well-oriented and focused throughout the presentation.
Error 3 –
Leaving the Audience at the Dock
Error 4 –
Losing the Audience at Sea
Strategy

11. Error 3 – You must anticipate the audiences initial questions or risk losing them right away.
What exactly is the subject?
A quick review is always welcome.
Why is the subject important?
Give the audience a reason to pay attention.
What background is needed?
State early on what you expect the audience to know.
In what order will it be presented?
Map out the presentation, memorably, so that listeners can pace themselves.

12. Error 3 – You must anticipate the audiences initial questions or risk losing them right away.
What exactly is the subject?
A quick review is always welcome.
Why is the subject important?
Give the audience a reason to pay attention.
What background is needed?
State early on what you expect the audience to know.
In what order will it be presented?
Map out the presentation, memorably, so that listeners can pace themselves.

13. Error 3 – You must anticipate the audiences initial questions or risk losing them right away.
What exactly is the subject?
A quick review is always welcome.
Why is the subject important?
Give the audience a reason to pay attention.
What background is needed?
State early on what you expect the audience to know.
In what order will it be presented?
Map out the presentation, memorably, so that listeners can pace themselves.

14. Error 3 – You must anticipate the audiences initial questions or risk losing them right away.
What exactly is the subject?
A quick review is always welcome.
Why is the subject important?
Give the audience a reason to pay attention.
What background is needed?
State early on what you expect the audience to know.
In what order will it be presented?
Map out the presentation, memorably, so that listeners can pace themselves.

15. Error 3 – You must anticipate the audiences initial questions or risk losing them right away.
Talk Outline
Introduction
Launch Preparation
Launch Procedures
In Flight Procedures
Landing Scenarios
Surface Exploration
Conclusions
Questions
Map out the presentation, memorably, so that listeners can pace themselves.

16. Error 3 – You must anticipate the audiences initial questions or risk losing them right away.
Mission to Mars
Talk Outline
Introduction
Launch Preparation
Launch Procedures
In Flight Procedures
Landing Scenarios
Surface Exploration
Conclusions
Questions
Prelaunch
Flight
The Red Planet
Map out the presentation, memorably, so that listeners can pace themselves.

17. Error 4 – If the journey isn’t smooth the audience will quickly lose focus.
Remember the audience is not reading a paper.
If they get confused they can’t skip back and forth and neither should you.
Show confidence in the material you are presenting.
Find a balance between what you are comfortable with and new ideas.
Avoid giving too much detail.
Slideshow should be an overview of your work, emphasize qualitative results.
Warn the audience before you change course.
A quick summary reinforces the important material and lets the audience know you’re moving on.
Especially important before you move to conclusions.

18. Error 4 – If the journey isn’t smooth the audience will quickly lose focus.
Remember the audience is not reading a paper.
If they get confused they can’t skip back and forth and neither should you.
Show confidence in the material you are presenting.
Find a balance between what you are comfortable with and new ideas.
Avoid giving too much detail.
Slideshow should be an overview of your work, emphasize qualitative results.
Warn the audience before you change course.
A quick summary reinforces the important material and lets the audience know you’re moving on.
Especially important before you move to conclusions.

19. Error 4 – If the journey isn’t smooth the audience will quickly lose focus.
Remember the audience is not reading a paper.
If they get confused they can’t skip back and forth and neither should you.
Show confidence in the material you are presenting.
Find a balance between what you are comfortable with and new ideas.
Avoid giving too much detail.
Slideshow should be an overview of your work, emphasize qualitative results.
Warn the audience before you change course.
A quick summary reinforces the important material and lets the audience know you’re moving on.
Especially important before you move to conclusions.

20. Error 4 – If the journey isn’t smooth the audience will quickly lose focus.
Remember the audience is not reading a paper.
If they get confused they can’t skip back and forth and neither should you.
Show confidence in the material you are presenting.
Find a balance between what you are comfortable with and new ideas.
Avoid giving too much detail.
Slideshow should be an overview of your work, emphasize qualitative results.
Warn the audience before you change course.
A quick summary reinforces the important material and lets the audience know you’re moving on.
Especially important before you move to conclusions.

21. Each slide needs to have a purpose and the more important it is the more memorable it must be.
Error 5 –
Projecting Slides that No One Reads
Error 6 –
Projecting Slides that No One Remembers
Error 7 –
Forgetting Murphy’s Law
Visual Aids

22. Error 5 – A poorly designed slide is difficult for the audience to digest.
TYPOGRAPHY
Typography
Typography
Typography
Colour
Colour
Colour
Colour

23. Error 5 – A poorly designed slide is difficult for the audience to digest.
Layout
Use sentence headers to summarize slides.
Avoid more that two lines per block of text. More than two lines per text block can begin to look cluttered. Most points can be made in one line and then you can add anything else you want to point out verbally.
Be generous with white space (not too generous).

24. Error 5 – A poorly designed slide is difficult for the audience to digest.
Layout
Use sentence headers to summarize slides.
Avoid more that two lines per block of text. More than two lines per text block can begin to look cluttered. Most points can be made in one line and then you can add anything else you want to point out verbally.
Be generous with white space (not too generous).

25. Error 6 – Slides with key results must be emphasized.
Images are easier to recall than words or equations.
Reinforce the key results.
Let the audience know how you’ve organized the presentation.
Conclusions should be left up.

26. Error 6 – Slides with key results must be emphasized.
Images are easier to recall than words or equations.
Reinforce the key results.
Let the audience know how you’ve organized the presentation.
Talk Outline
Mission to Mars
Introduction
Launch Preparation
Launch Procedures
In Flight Procedures
Landing Scenarios
Surface Exploration
Conclusions
Questions
Prelaunch
Flight
The Red Planet
Conclusions should be left up.

27. ? Error 6 – Slides with key results must be emphasized.
Images are easier to recall than words or equations.
Reinforce the key results.
Let the audience know how you’ve organized the presentation.
Talk Outline
Mission to Mars
Introduction
Launch Preparation
Launch Procedures
In Flight Procedures
Landing Scenarios
Surface Exploration
Conclusions
Questions
Prelaunch
Flight
The Red Planet
Conclusions should be left up.
Conclusions
Conclusions
Conclusions
There was no way for humans to have built the pyramids. It must have been aliens.
There was no way for humans to have built the pyramids. It must have been aliens.
There was no way for humans to have built the pyramids. It must have been aliens. ?
Questions?

28. Error 7 – “Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.”
Some disasters can be avoided if you plan for them.
Arrive early
Rehearse
Presentation

29. Your delivery affects how intently the audience listens and even if they trust what you say.
Error 8 –
Not Preparing Enough
Error 9 –
Not Paying Attention
Error 10 –
Losing Composure
Delivery

30. Error 8 – A successful presentation takes a lot of preparation.
Organizing Your Thoughts
Present your ideas in a logical fashion.
Preparing Visual Aids
They can make or break a presentation.
Preparing Yourself
Practice you presentation in full.

31. Error 8 – A successful presentation takes a lot of preparation.
Organizing Your Thoughts
Present your ideas in a logical fashion.
Preparing Visual Aids
They can make or break a presentation.
Preparing Yourself
Practice you presentation in full.

32. Error 8 – A successful presentation takes a lot of preparation.
Organizing Your Thoughts
Present your ideas in a logical fashion.
Preparing Visual Aids
They can make or break a presentation.
Preparing Yourself
Practice you presentation in full.

33. Error 9 – The audience wants the time spent at a talk to be worthwhile.
Paying Attention to the Room
Arrive early so that you can adjust yourself to the environment of adjust the environment to suit you.
Paying Attention to Yourself
Attire
Movements
Voice
Eye Contact
Paying Attention to the Audience
Even when they are not asking questions they are communicating to you.
Paying Attention to the Time
Going overtime can have serious consequences.

34. Error 9 – The audience wants the time spent at a talk to be worthwhile.
Paying Attention to the Room
Arrive early so that you can adjust yourself to the environment of adjust the environment to suit you.
Paying Attention to Yourself
Attire
Movements
Voice
Eye Contact
Paying Attention to the Audience
Even when they are not asking questions they are communicating to you.
Paying Attention to the Time
Going overtime can have serious consequences.

35. Error 9 – The audience wants the time spent at a talk to be worthwhile.
Paying Attention to the Room
Arrive early so that you can adjust yourself to the environment of adjust the environment to suit you.
Paying Attention to Yourself
Attire
Movements
Voice
Eye Contact
Paying Attention to the Audience
Even when they are not asking questions they are communicating to you.
Paying Attention to the Time
Going overtime can have serious consequences.

36. Error 9 – The audience wants the time spent at a talk to be worthwhile.
Paying Attention to the Room
Arrive early so that you can adjust yourself to the environment of adjust the environment to suit you.
Paying Attention to Yourself
Attire
Movements
Voice
Eye Contact
Paying Attention to the Audience
Even when they are not asking questions they are communicating to you.
Paying Attention to the Time
Going overtime can have serious consequences.

37. Error 10 – If you lose your composure your credibility may be undercut.
Controlling Your Nervousness
“According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. This means that, at a funeral, the average person would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy.” Jerry Seinfeld
There is no sure fire solution but there are tricks that may help.
Handling Questions
The audience would prefer a clear and concise answer so pause and think before you respond.

38. Error 10 – If you lose your composure your credibility may be undercut.
Controlling Your Nervousness
“According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. This means that, at a funeral, the average person would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy.” Jerry Seinfeld
There is no sure fire solution but there are tricks that may help.
Handling Questions
The audience would prefer a clear and concise answer so pause and think before you respond.

39. Final Thoughts
Presenting is an important and essential part of a scientists career.
People invest a lot of time into listening to your talks and want them to be worthwhile.
If you want to reach your peers effectively then don’t settle for giving a run of the mill presentation.
Always strive to make improvements in your presentation techniques.

40. Final Thoughts Questions?
Presenting is an important and essential part of a scientists career.
People invest a lot of time into listening to your talks and want them to be worthwhile.
If you want to reach your peers effectively then don’t settle for giving a run of the mill presentation.
Always strive to make improvements in your presentation techniques.
Questions?